Abraham lost the love of his life in a land which was not his own. At the Lord’s command, he had been wandering about Canaan for the last 60 years or so, with Sarah constantly at his side. In fact, they had been married for most of Sarah’s 127 years. But the time came when she died, and Abraham, being 137 years old but with 38 years yet to live, mourned and wept because of his separation from his departed soulmate (Gen. 23.2).
Since he owned no property, Abraham purchased a plot of land with a cave called the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 23.7–9), which became a burying place for Abraham’s family (Gen. 23.20). Abraham himself was later buried there by his sons, Isaac and Ishmael (Gen. 25.9–10).
Jacob (Abraham’s grandson) died in Egypt, but he commanded his family to bury him in the cave of Machpelah. Isaac (Jacob’s father) and Rebekah his wife had also been buried there, and Jacob wanted to be buried beside his family (Gen. 49.29–32).
Joseph (Jacob’s son), on his deathbed, commanded his family not to bury his bones in Egypt (where they were living) but to take his bones back to the Promised Land when they returned and bury him there (Gen. 50.24–26). Thus, Joseph expressed faith in the promises of God.
The cave of Machpelah is the earliest recorded graveyard.
The fact that people care about where they are buried reveals the sense they have of a future after death. You may say, “It’s just sentimental.” But why is it? Why does it ease your mind to think you will be buried next to the love of your life or your family? Why is it important to so many of us? If there is no life after death, it shouldn’t matter even the smallest bit what happens to our bodies after they die. Yet we care.
Picture a demoniac living naked among the tombs outside town (Luke 8.27). He lives among the dead because he is almost literally a dead man walking—not in control of his body or his mind. Jesus sails across the Sea of Galilee through a deadly storm just to heal him and free him from his living death.
Picture the mourners surrounding Mary and Martha as they just lost their dearly beloved brother Lazarus. He has been in the tomb for four days, but Jesus says, “Take away the stone” (John 11.39) and calls for him to come out. And he does, bound hand a foot with linen grave cloths. “Unbind him, and let him go,” Jesus commands. He has set Lazarus free from the grave, temporarily. But it is a promise of The Resurrection to come for all who believe in Jesus. He quickens the dead.
Picture the new light of early morning on the first day of the week following Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb where she saw them bury Jesus two days before (this being the third day He was in the tomb). But to her surprise, the enormous stone which had closed the tomb has been rolled to the side, and the tomb is empty! She runs to tell Peter and the other apostles (John 20.2). The grave could not hold the Lord!
Picture a church building with a graveyard next to it where several generations of saints have been laid to rest. They stand as a testament to their hope. They don’t expect to remain in those graves.
Picture your future grave, your own body laid to rest. You may or may not know where that will be, but God surely does. Rest assured; God is planning to raise every person on the last day. Jesus conquered the tomb as a downpayment and promise of the future resurrection:
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15.16–22
We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8.23)—that is our hope. And when we say “hope” we don’t mean “something we think would be really great if it happened” but, rather, “something we absolutely believe is going to happen because God’s word is certain!”
Paul wrote the Philippians, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3.20–21).
Even so, Lord Jesus, let it be as You have promised!
The graveyards will one day be empty.